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 Unlike brother George, born 21 months ago and expected one
day to be monarch, the younger offspring's future is less clear.
The "spare" role is an undefined one that allows more freedom
than that accorded to a future king or queen.
But it also attracts massive public interest and scrutiny, while
the possibility remains of having to step into the shoes of the
future heir should calamity befall the elder sibling.
"I think the most difficult thing about being the number two is
you don't know if by some misfortune you are going to be called
upon to take the number one role," royal historian Hugo Vickers
told Reuters.
"You never quite know if you're going to be called upon to
become king, or instead have what you, if you're being really
cynical, could say is a relatively pointless life."
Both the queen's grandfather George V, whose elder brother died
aged 28, and her father George VI, whose elder brother Edward
VIII abdicated to marry American divorcee Wallis Simpson, were
"spares" who did become monarchs.
For those for whom the top job never comes, life as a "spare" is
not easy.
"It's incredibly difficult for the younger sibling," said
Claudia Joseph, author of "William and Kate's Britain".
INTRIGUE AND SCANDAL
Princess Margaret, the queen's younger sister, who died in 2002,
was a prime example.
Renowned as a beauty in her youth who partied with a high
society set, her private life generated intrigue for the media.
She is best remembered for falling for dashing air force officer
Peter Townsend when protocol dictated that a princess could not
marry a divorced man.
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Instead she later married photographer Anthony Armstrong-Jones, a
controversial choice because of his non-aristocratic status.
They divorced in 1978, in the first such split in the inner royal
circle since the days of King Henry VIII.
William's brother Prince Harry too is stuck with the "spare" role.
He won a reputation as a wild child by dabbling with marijuana and
under-age drinking, clashing with paparazzi outside nightclubs and
wearing a Nazi uniform to a costume party.
Before his second tour of duty in Afghanistan in 2012, the
30-year-old was pictured naked cavorting with an apparently nude
woman in Las Vegas. But through all such troubles, his popularity
has actually increased.
Prince Andrew, younger brother of current heir-to-the-throne Prince
Charles, has also had a tricky time with the media. The former naval
officer earned the nickname "Randy Andy" for his wooing of models
and starlets, famously dating actress Koo Stark who had appeared in
a soft-porn film.
Like Prince George, the world's media is set to lavish attention on
William and Kate's new baby. But commentators believe the relatively
down-to-earth couple are better placed than previous generations to
help their child cope.
"The new girl or boy will have more opportunities because he or
she's not going to be brought up in the same gilded lifestyle," said
royal biographer Joseph.
(Reporting by Michael Holden; editing by Andrew Roche)
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